Alisa Brantz

SCSD2 Gollings to go to Whitney

SHERIDAN — Sheridan County School District 2 is about to be $3,237,500 richer after a purchase agreement between the district and Whitney Benefits for the sale of 10 original paintings by Elling William Gollings was approved by the school board Monday night. Negotiations between the district and the foundation began after SCSD2 expressed interest in Read More

SCSD2 examines safety, wellness policies

SHERIDAN — The overall wellbeing of staff and students at Sheridan County School District 2 was a consistent theme during Monday night’s meeting of the school board. One parent expressed safety concerns, the board approved changes to district policies including staff maternity leave and academically high performing students were recognized. During the public comments portion Read More

SCSD2 Gollings to go to Whitney

SHERIDAN – Sheridan County School District 2 is about to be $3,237,500 richer after a purchase agreement between the district and Whitney Benefits for the sale of 10 original paintings by Elling William Gollings was approved by the school board Monday night. Negotiations between the district and Whitney began after SCSD2 expressed interest in selling Read More

TRHS to offer dinner, show next week based on ‘Frozen’

DAYTON — Since its release in November 2013, nothing has been able to slow the momentum of “Frozen,” Disney’s hit musical animated film. Now Elsa, Anna and the rest of the gang are getting ready to “Let it Go” in Dayton as the Tongue River High School choir and drama students prepare for their second Read More

Film site for ‘Downton Abbey’ has local ties

SHERIDAN — Tomorrow night, TV watchers across the nation and the United Kingdom will gather to watch the final episode of season five of the hit show on Masterpiece Theater “Downton Abbey.” Many questions are poised to be answered as the 8 million viewers of the most popular series in PBS history tune in: Will Read More

College’s Plus 50 program focuses on lifetime learners

SHERIDAN — It is getting easier for non-traditional students, especially those over age 50, to return to school as Sheridan College is now in its third year of implementing the Plus 50 program. The program stemmed from a $15,000 grant received from the American Association of Community Colleges. The purpose of the grant was to Read More

Standards require new curriculum, expenses

SHERIDAN — Following the state Board of Education’s adaptation of the Wyoming Content and Performance Standards — new standards in math and English language arts originally presented as the Common Core State Standards — in 2012, Wyoming school districts began the process of updating and aligning their curriculum. Standards are statements of expectation; they define Read More

SHERIDAN — Area mental health professionals agree that students are being treated for anxiety related issues more frequently than ever before, but there may be a variety of factors contributing to that rise. “I don’t have any statistics, but I think if you were to bring together our mental health therapists all of them would Read More

SHERIDAN — Officials of the Northern Wyoming Community College District officially launched a capital construction campaign Thursday morning seeking to fund the remaining $4 million needed to complete the $20 million Whitney Center for the Arts at Sheridan College. The center will feature recital and performance space, including a 422-seat concert hall and new teaching Read More

UW professors and students travel the state, discuss science initiative

SHERIDAN — University of Wyoming professors and students, who have begun traveling the state to discuss UW’s Science Initiative, are scheduled to be in Sheridan on Friday. Botany Professor Dave Williams and chemistry Professor Dean Roddick, along with student Jacob Yelton, who has family roots in Sheridan County, are scheduled to meet with the public Read More

Big Horn assistant principal earns award

SHERIDAN — Richard Welch, assistant principal for Big Horn Middle School and High School, has been named the 2015 Wyoming Association of Elementary and Middle School Principals’ Assistant Principal of the Year. Welch has been in the education industry for 25 years and spent each of them in Sheridan County School District 1. SCSD1 Special Read More

SHERIDAN — Regardless of emotional pleas made from his supporters, Big Horn High School and Middle School Principal George Mirich will not return to his position after the conclusion of this school year. Sheridan County School District 1 board of trustees voted Tuesday night not to renew his contract. At the start of the evening, Read More

ECA bill passes second reading Tuesday

SHERIDAN — House Bill 1 on general government appropriations passed second reading in the Wyoming House of Representatives Tuesday after an amendment was made addressing the need for an external cost adjustment in the funding model that determines annual appropriations for schools. The ECA is a cost of living adjustment which is mandated by state Read More

SHERIDAN — While a ratio of one technology device to one student, or 1:1, has been touted and sought in varying degrees at each of the local districts, concerns over utilization of technology and future implementation has varied widely. Sheridan High School Principal Brent Leibach said after 35 year in the field of education and Read More

Wyoming Supreme Court to hear case at SHS

SHERIDAN — One day before the “We the People” state champion team from Sheridan High School takes flight for the national competition in Washington, D.C., they and other area students will get to take part in an actual hearing of the Wyoming Supreme Court thanks to a unique opportunity currently in the works. On April Read More

CLEARMONT — The first official school board meeting for new Sheridan County School District 3 trustee Barry Bauer was a long one as the board, members of the administration and the district steering committee took part in an all-day work session Wednesday. From facilities plans and staffing to student data and general government leadership training, Read More

NGSC bill requires ‘unique’ science standards

SHERIDAN — The “Next Generation Science Standards-2” bill (House Bill 23) passed its third reading in the Wyoming State Senate Thursday, but the bill which was created to remove a hindrance on the State Board of Education’s review of new state science standards now carries a new caveat as an amendment was added. The Wyoming Read More

Getting ahead: College credit in high school

SHERIDAN — As education in America continually becomes more rigorous at earlier grades, the demand — and opportunity — for college level studies during high school years continues to expand as well. Three unique but similar options exist for students to earn college credit before receiving their diploma, and depending on the school district of Read More

SCSD3: District now smallest in Wyoming, again

SHERIDAN — While total statewide student enrollment for the 2014-2015 school year has increased 2 percent, Sheridan County School District 3 has seen a decrease in enrollment of 12.5 percent, making it the smallest school district in the state, again. SCSD3 has 84 students, a decrease of 12 students compared to the prior year, which Read More

Flu season means something different for local schools

SHERIDAN — Flu management in schools is no easy task, one that all local administrators say begins with vaccinations, continues with standard hand washing and health procedures and then grows into a variable array of efforts. February has begun and with it comes the peak of flu season, but already this season has seen the Read More

Bill reinstating review of science standards moves ahead

SHERIDAN — House Bill 23, a bill that would reinstate the review of the Next Generation Science Standards, continues to work its way through the Wyoming Legislature. Meanwhile, review — and a mixed bag of support and criticism — of the standards outside of the capital rolls on. The bill sponsored in part by Rep. Read More

SCSD1 addresses concerns at public budget discussion

BIG HORN — Administrators at Sheridan County School District 1 hosted a public budget discussion Tuesday night at Big Horn Middle School that was attended by district staff and a handful of community members. Following the statement made in January by the district’s third-party auditors that the budget showed some areas of concern, SCSD1 distributed Read More

Appraisal completed for SCSD2 Gollings paintings

SHERIDAN — Sheridan County School District 2 is the owner of $3,237,500 worth of William Gollings paintings, according to the appraisal the district received from Gary Temple of the Meadowlark Gallery in Billings, Montana. Members of the Capital Construction Committee at SCSD2 commissioned the appraisal of the paintings after members of the Whitney Benefits Board Read More

State to fund study for alternative school

SHERIDAN — TSP Inc., an architecture firm based in Sheridan, will spearhead the efforts to explore facility solutions for a collaborative alternative school in Sheridan County after the Capital Construction Committee of Sheridan County School District 2 selected the firm through the state procurement process. Recently, superintendents of each of the local school districts, as Read More

Early graduation not always just about academic achievement

SHERIDAN — Graduating early from high school is no small feat, requiring extra courses and hard work for the shortened time a student is enrolled. But having the ability to move on from secondary education is not always just a mark of academic achievement — sometimes it is the outcome of necessity. “We have students Read More